The Art of Freezing a Fast-Moving Subject

06 February 2018

One of the earlier features we shipped with the Light L16 was our burst mode, which lets photographers take three or six shots in quick succession. This mode is perfect for capturing subjects in motion, such as a surfer cresting a wave or a soccer player scoring a winning goal.

Captured by Lamarr Golding.

How To Use Burst Mode

The L16’s burst mode works a little differently from the burst modes you might have encountered on your DSLR or smartphone. The L16 takes just three or six shots at a time. But since the L16 takes 10+ photos for every image captured, a three-shot burst is really the sum of thirty photos and a six-shot burst is the sum of sixty photos. (That’s a lot of data for the camera to process, so you may experience a short delay while the Light L16 saves the data.)

To turn on burst mode, open the toolbar and tap the burst mode icon. The L16 will show you two options: off, three shots, or six shots. Tap to select which option you’d like to use.

Because the L16 is effectively shooting at an aperture of F15, you have some flexibility on where you set your focus in burst mode. If your subject is super fast, we actually recommend focusing on something close by, instead of your moving subject. For example, when capturing a child on a swing set, try placing the focus on the swingset instead of the child, letting burst mode capture the perfect shot of the child in mid-swing.

The L16 will capture burst images every 60-80 milliseconds (at 12-15 fps). That's pretty fast, so make sure you time your shutter press to perfectly capture the action. If you’re taking a photograph of a child blowing out birthday candles, for example, you'll want to release the shutter when the child is exhaling—if you start on the inhale you might miss that special blowing-out-the-candle moment.

Eager for more burst tips? Discover the best techniques for capturing action shots in this support article.

Captured by Lamarr Golding.

What’s next

We’ll continue to improve the L16’s burst mode in the upcoming months, adding more flexibility and ease to the burst experience. One of the first things we plan to incorporate is file compression, which should make it easier for the camera to handle massive amounts of data. We’ve also received some requests for versatility in both the number and speed of burst shots—and we want you to know that we’re already working on giving you the freedom to set up burst the way you’d like. We’ll even make it easier for you to select your favorite shots in Lumen.

Stay tuned for more updates on the Light L16’s ever-evolving technology.